Understanding Raw Footage: What to Know Before Requesting It

At Dream Engine, projects that include editing deliver a completed, edited video in the versions set out in your quote. Once it has been delivered and paid for in full, you own the completed video and the copyright we hold and can transfer in it. This excludes underlying materials such as project files, templates and production tools. Third-party assets, including music and stock footage, remain subject to their applicable licence conditions.

For projects that include editing, raw or unedited footage is not included in the standard deliverables. We can supply it as an optional additional item, quoted separately.

If you hire us solely as a camera operator or crew, the raw footage is the agreed deliverable and is included in that booking.

Here, raw footage means the original, unedited camera files. It does not necessarily mean the camera recorded in a RAW sensor format. Before we share the files, it’s important to understand what you’ll be receiving and what’s involved in handling it. Raw footage isn’t like a finished video that plays easily on your laptop. It’s professional material created for video editing, and there are a few things worth knowing before requesting it.

1. The Files Are Very Large

Raw video files take up a significant amount of storage space. A single project can easily run into hundreds of gigabytes.

This means:

• You’ll need a fast and stable internet connection to download the files.
• The transfer can take many hours, or even days, depending on your internet speed.
• You’ll need ample hard drive space to store and back up the footage.

If your team plans to work with the material, large-capacity drives and a reliable backup system are essential.

2. The Footage Will Look Flat or “Grey”

When you first open the files, the images may look pale or washed out. This is intentional. Our videographers shoot in a professional colour profile called LOG, which preserves highlight and shadow information for colour grading, within the limits of the camera and recording settings.

Shooting in LOG allows us to create the polished, cinematic look you see in the final edit.

If you or your team plan to edit the raw footage, you’ll need to:

• Set up colour management or apply a suitable LUT (Look-Up Table) to convert the camera’s LOG profile for the intended display.
• Use editing software that supports LOG footage, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro.

Some editing software can recognise supported LOG formats and handle the colour conversion automatically. A LUT is another option, rather than a requirement for every workflow. If the camera profile is interpreted incorrectly, the image may still look flat or display the wrong contrast and colour.

Below you can see an example of colour-graded footage (left) vs LOG footage (right):

3. You’ll Need the Right Software and Hardware

We record using professional video codecs that offer flexibility and quality in post-production. To view and edit these files properly, your computer needs to be appropriately specified.

Your setup should include:

• Editing software that supports the specific camera codec and recording format supplied.
• A processor and graphics card capable of handling 4K or higher resolution footage.
• Fast storage, such as SSDs or RAID arrays, with plenty of free space.

If you’re unsure whether your system can handle the files, we’re happy to advise you before transferring them.

4. Support Beyond Delivery

Technical support and troubleshooting are not included when raw footage is supplied. If you need help working with the files, we can quote for that separately.

If you’d like help setting up your editing environment, installing codecs, or working with LOG footage, this can be provided as an additional service. We can also prepare the footage in a more accessible format if needed.

5. Alternative Delivery Option: Couriered Hard Drive

If downloading the files isn’t practical, we can supply a hard drive and have it couriered directly to you. This avoids long download times and gives you a physical copy of the full-quality files. We can agree on the delivery arrangements and any storage requirements before dispatch.

Please note that this service sits outside the scope of the original project and is charged separately. If you’d like us to handle this for you, contact us for a quote and we’ll recommend the most efficient option.

Next Steps

If you would like raw footage alongside your completed video, let us know so we can quote for it as an optional additional item. If you are booking a camera operator or crew only, raw footage is included as the agreed deliverable. In either case, we can discuss the file formats, storage and delivery arrangements before filming.

If you plan to make further edits, our guide to repurposing video content can help you choose useful versions. For recording your own material, see our tips for non-professional camera operators.

Ryan Spanger

Ryan Spanger is the founder and managing director of Dream Engine, a Melbourne video production company established in 2002. Over the past two decades, he’s produced hundreds of videos for businesses, government departments, universities and healthcare organisations across Australia. Ryan specialises in helping organisations explain complex ideas through clear, engaging video content, with particular experience in corporate communications, training and education.